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Indie Spotlight #2: Flash, Bang, Boom

Contrary to popular belief, games don't always need huge budgets and teams of hundreds of worker drones toiling away under the watchful eye of whip-wielding overlords in order to be awesome. The thriving indie development scene continues to give birth to some of the weirdest, coolest, and most innovative games around. Indie Spotlight pulls back the curtain, taking a closer look at the world of independent game developers and the magic they make.

No Mere Flash in the Pan

Freeware used to be a completely different animal back in the earlier days of home computing, but the birth of the Internet and the more recent advent of blazing-fast connections speeds have changed things completely. The Flash gaming scene has since exploded, giving bedroom coders and startup indie studios a shot at having their games played by millions of players. That's a win-win for players looking to get in some short bursts of gaming. But how does one stay afloat simply making free browser-based games on a full-time basis? The folks at Nitrome Limited have it figured out.

With over 70 Flash games under its belt, this UK-based indie studio has had plenty of time to perfect a winning formula. Beyond being short, quirky, and memorable, their games are successful enough to keep the studio afloat -- an elusive and crucial goal for many in the indie development world. Nitrome was formed in late 2004 by Matthew Annal and Heather Stancliffe, who decided to branch off from making promotional games for larger companies, in order to create their own mobile game. The project was never finished or released, but it sparked a creative shift that led the pair to create and license some original Flash game content. That momentum quickly grew... and before long, they were able to drop the promotional work altogether and exclusively focus on making Flash games.

A sampling of Nitrome's current Flash game library.

From the cannon-propelled heroism of Blast RPG and the ever-fluctuating stronghold exploration of Tiny Castle to the thrill of cranial percussions in Bullethead and turning peaceful villages into Worm Food, Nitrome's pint-sized games run the gamut of influences and genres. Early on, it took about a month to create each game, says Annal. That productivity persevered even as the development team grew over the years -- though it takes a little longer to make the average Nitrome game these days, he adds.

"We primarily work in teams of two, and when a team is ready to start a new project, they pick from the ideas we have approved together," Annal explains. "Because there are primarily just two people working on the game, it comes together fairly rapidly, and it's easy to stay enthusiastic about it. When new ideas come, they are generally embraced and added to. I believe you get the best from people when they like what they are doing, so I try to encourage that in as many ways possible."

The creative openness and collaborative nature of development at Nitrome has yielded dozens of truly interesting and unusual games. Yet fresh and wacky gaming concepts aren't the only things that set these games apart; they share a distinct pixel-art visual style that stands out in the Flash game world. "Like most things about Nitrome, the art style was primarily something that we fell into rather than being a purposeful plan from the beginning," Annal admits. "When we came to make our first game, we wanted something based purely around gameplay that hearkened back to the 16-bit era. Pixel art was a clear influence of that. Having spent my career up until that point mainly using vectors, it really was different for me, but it was something I instantly liked." When the team grew and other pixel artists came onboard, this further solidified the artistic direction, he says.

Bullethead in action.

Cranking out so many short games at such a steady pace keeps the projects fresh, and the income flowing; Flash game funding typically comes from a mix of advertising, sponsorships, and licensing. Nitrome has been making free games for more than five years now, and the studio has grown from its two founders to a team of 10 over that time. "I think there is no question that it is sustainable," Annal says. He also acknowledges that these funding models have a more limited return, and you have to learn to work within a smaller budget. Still, it's a small price to pay for full artistic and creative control.

Though it's underappreciated and still relatively young, Flash gaming is steadily growing, says Annal. Players are more willing to play browser games due to their ease of access and lack of financial risk. From a development standpoint, when times are financially tough, it's easy buckle down and muscle through it, Annal explains, since it's never that long before the next project is ready to go. Making the games is rewarding in many ways too, he adds. "Being able to create entertainment is the best job in the world. The fans have a huge impact, as they make what you are doing seem more worthwhile -- but the main buzz probably comes from the satisfaction of seeing the idea you wanted to create come to life."

Nathan Meunier is a freelance writer and indie gaming enthusiast who likes his pixels jaggy and his tunes blippy. He writes about videogames and geek/gaming culture for GameSpy, IGN, What They Play, Nintendo Power, GamePro, and many other fine publications. See what he's up to at NathanMeunier.com.